week 3.

Week 3: Endangered Animals

This week we will look at some of the species that are in danger of extinction. Begin by visiting the following web sites to learn more about a few endangered species.

• http://endangeredearth.com/
• http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/vanishing.htm
• http://www.africanculturalcenter.org/3_2_1endangered_detail.html
• http://endangeredtv.com/
• http://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/videos.html?gclid=CMblvZbcnpMCFQwwiQod8DsEyQ
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/plants_animals/endangered_animals/
• http://www.worldwildlife.org/

You an also go to your library or use the internet to research other endangered species.
I've posted a news feed of articles related to endangered animals. Check back frequently to see new stories.
Endangered and Extinct Species

• The Green-Feathered Terror That Slaughtered Bats in Spain
  The largest bat in Europe, a vulnerable species, found shelter in a city park’s trees. Then they started to turn up dead.
• Trapping Foxes to Save Plovers Sets Off Showdown at Jersey Shore
  Wildlife officials have used snare traps to protect the endangered birds. It’s ruffling more than feathers in a town where the fox is the unofficial mascot.
• A Census of Gorillas and Chimpanzees Finds More Than Expected
  There are more than 360,000 gorillas and 128,000 chimpanzees in Africa, roughly twice as many as previously estimated.
• America Before Earth Day: Smog and Disasters Spurred the Laws Trump Wants to Undo
  Nearly 50 years ago, environmental disasters in the United States spurred a popular movement that culminated in new protections and helped to inspire the first Earth Day. Now, many of those protections are under threat.
• Freight Train Kills 4 Elephants in India, Including a Calf
  As mining and development projects shrink the country’s forests, animals in search of food have been forced to wander farther from their natural habitats.
• A Plan for New York City’s Forests. Yes, Forests.
  The city has 10,542 acres of forests. The Natural Areas Conservancy, which says they are at a tipping point, is thinking about how to care for them.
• Threatened: A Green-Haired Turtle That Can Breathe Through Its Genitals
  Getting on the endangered list issued by the Zoological Society of London isn’t actually about looks. Creatures have to be evolutionarily distinctive, not just weird.
• Climate Change Denialists Say Polar Bears Are Fine. Scientists Are Pushing Back.
  In a new study, researchers single out a blog run by a Canadian zoologist as a primary source of dubious information about the status of polar bears.
• That Python in the Pet Store? It May Have Been Snatched From the Wild
  Many reptiles and amphibians sold in pet stores were not bred in captivity as international law requires, conservationists say, but plucked from forests and rivers.
• Stop the G.O.P.’s Conservation Demolition Crew
  The House Committee on Natural Resources is intent on erasing essential protections for the nation’s natural resources.

Assignment: our assignment this week is to create a map of endangered species on earth. You will work together as a group on this activity. Each person should contribute at least 10 animals to the map. I've started the map for you at http://www.communitywalk.com/map/index/207203
You'll need to log in to add your animals. To add an animal click on add a marker. Then search for a location where the animal can be found and then click on its address when it comes up in the window. Your title should be the name of the animal. You should add a picture of the animal and provide the sources of the picture (as a caption), type a brief description of the animal in the description field. CommunityWalk is pretty easy to figure out -- but I've also created a short tutorial if you'd prefer to have an overview of the program before starting.

Discussion: Click on the discussion forum tab at the top of this page and share your ideas on what we can do to protect some of the endangered animals.

when you complete these assignments you may move on to week 4.